Dip in Darjeeling tea output likely

Production of Darjeeling tea may drop by around 10 per cent this year due to climatic adversities being faced by the planters.

The heavy downpour, on the one hand, and the recent land slides, on the other, have all contributed to a decline of the crop, which is anyway grown under very exacting circumstances at high altitudes and on the slopes of the Himalayan range.

Early estimates have begun pegging this year’s crop at sub-eight million kg level against the 8.42 million kgs output in 2014.

“Huge amount of rains and low temperature may be leading to a crop loss…we are fearing a 10 per cent loss of crop,” an official at the Darjeeling Tea Association told The Hindu.

“There is absolutely no sunshine … and, the tea leaves are not sprouting,” industry sources said.

The landslip a fortnight ago in Darjeeling hit the tea-growing areas the hardest and nearly 52-55 hectares of prime tea-growing area has been lost to landslides. This happened in a proper garden area in Mirik, where an entire village of around 70 houses was devastated.

It may be mentioned that a total of 17,500 hectares of land is under tea cultivation in 87 estates in and around Darjeeling. The unique muscatel aroma comes from a combination of locational climate, soil conditions, altitude and the processing of the leaves. It is an exotic blend.

However, since it was first planted in the early 1800s, the bushes have aged and productivity is poor leading to a steady drop in output.

But the high value teas are prized in the world market and account for a sizeable portion of the Rs.4,000 crore that India earns from tea exports.

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